Devon-based hearing specialist scoops top accolade at National NHS awards

Devon-based hearing specialist Chime has been named the UK’s best healthcare science delivery service at the prestigious 2022 Chief Scientific Officer’s (CSO) Excellence in Healthcare Science Awards.

Celebrating the contributions and achievements of the healthcare science workforce and the impact they have on patient outcomes, the awards validate Chime’s innovative model as a not-for-profit social enterprise which has delivered NHS Audiology services for 11 years.

After being judged by a panel of esteemed senior healthcare professionals led by Professor Dame Sue Hill, Chief Scientific Officer for NHS England, Chime was announced the winner of the Excellence in Healthcare Science Delivery award at a glittering ceremony in London.

The Chair of NHS Devon, Dr Sarah Wollaston, and Chief Executive of NHS Devon, Jane Milligan, have offered their congratulations and praised Chime for being a “vital part of the approach to hearing services in Mid and East Devon and Exeter since 2011.”

As the prime provider of NHS funded hearing services across Exeter, Mid and East Devon Chime has developed a unique model which gives hospital-based audiology teams more freedom to evolve and offer a premium audiology service with no restraints.

Chime’s audiology experts are now offering  help and advice to audiology departments across the UK so they can adopt the Chime Social Enterprise model and the benefits it can bring to NHS audiology hospital-based hearing services.

Jonathan Parsons, Managing Director of Chime Social Enterprise, commented: “We are delighted that Chime has been awarded the Excellence in Healthcare Science Delivery award. It’s a great honour to have the Chime Social Enterprise model validated by NHS England, particularly as our leading audiologists have worked hard over the last 11 years to perfect it, ensuring we deliver the highest-quality NHS audiology service to people with hearing difficulties.”

Jonathan continued: “With a national award behind us, we will continue to share our knowledge to inspire other audiology departments across the country to adopt our model. We want to future-proof NHS audiology services, creating more independent, resilient, and quality hearing care services that are both successful and sustainable. Benefits include a guaranteed NHS annual audiology budget, the power to become a decision maker, an employee-owned service and the option to operate commercially, solely for the benefit of NHS Audiology. Having solidified our reputation in Devon, we are excited to take Chime nationwide and look forward to seeing what the future holds.”

With 16 locations in Devon, Chime is a not-for-profit social enterprise which has provided hearing expertise to NHS Devon for over 11 years. It was one of the first audiology services in the UK to achieve IQUIPS2 accreditation and operates both high street and hospital locations. Its flagship high street store was launched in January 2022 on Queen Street in Exeter.

For more information on Chime, visit www.chimehealth.co.uk or call 01392 402223.